Catch a Mate
by Gena Showalter
Synopsis
How to catch the love of your life…with his pants down
Jillian Greene is always getting caught in the act—it's her job! Working at Catch a Mate, Jillian gets paid by suspicious wives to smile, flirt and prove that no man can be trusted around the opposite sex. But she never gets physical—until a heart-stoppingly gorgeous male walks in….
Marcus Brody has just been hired to test female fidelity. But the last thing Jillian needs is a partner…especially an infuriating, irresistible man who's got her fantasizing about tearing off his clothes!
Review
I'm torn, dear reader. I really am. So far, I've truly enjoyed Showalter's books, and even though I did like some parts of this book...it kind of annoyed me.
Let me explain. Oh, and spoilers!
Jillian is a jaded woman who works for a Catch the Cheater-type business in which she plays the "bait" and semi-persuades the man to show that he will cheat. Marcus is the new guy that turns out to be the new owner who introduces the male "bait". The two seemingly hate each other at first, and then realize they are actually more alike than they are different. Both have been hurt, and both have trust issues. Refreshingly, it is Marcus who gets over those issues first
Now - here are my gripes. I thought this would be funny. And, yes, parts were funny, but I could only laugh for so long. I mean, we're talking about infidelity here, and I found it really hard to push through the fact that these people made a business from being the "others." Even though I knew it was fiction, it still hampered my fun.
Also, Marcus and Jillian in the beginning annoyed me to no end. It took the last third of the book for me to actually like them as characters. Here's my reasoning: from the moment Jillian and Marcus meet each other - all I read was how much they wanted to tear each other's clothes off. All this even when they were being horrible to each other! I really love when the two leading characters hate each other and then fall for each other - but that usually involves witty banter that can turn somewhat mean, and then the person regrets it. This was like, I hate you so much, but I still want to **** you. I just found it a little crude, and it made me dislike them very much before I actually got to know them. In hindsight, this might be the point - but I still didn't like that in the beginning.
If you're a fan of Showalter's, I suggest you read the book and then tell me what you get from it. If you're looking for a romantic comedy-type of read, may I suggest Showalter's The Stone Prince? I felt that one read more like a funny movie than this one. This one made me kinda sad.
I'm torn, dear reader. I really am. So far, I've truly enjoyed Showalter's books, and even though I did like some parts of this book...it kind of annoyed me.
Let me explain. Oh, and spoilers!
Jillian is a jaded woman who works for a Catch the Cheater-type business in which she plays the "bait" and semi-persuades the man to show that he will cheat. Marcus is the new guy that turns out to be the new owner who introduces the male "bait". The two seemingly hate each other at first, and then realize they are actually more alike than they are different. Both have been hurt, and both have trust issues. Refreshingly, it is Marcus who gets over those issues first
Now - here are my gripes. I thought this would be funny. And, yes, parts were funny, but I could only laugh for so long. I mean, we're talking about infidelity here, and I found it really hard to push through the fact that these people made a business from being the "others." Even though I knew it was fiction, it still hampered my fun.
Also, Marcus and Jillian in the beginning annoyed me to no end. It took the last third of the book for me to actually like them as characters. Here's my reasoning: from the moment Jillian and Marcus meet each other - all I read was how much they wanted to tear each other's clothes off. All this even when they were being horrible to each other! I really love when the two leading characters hate each other and then fall for each other - but that usually involves witty banter that can turn somewhat mean, and then the person regrets it. This was like, I hate you so much, but I still want to **** you. I just found it a little crude, and it made me dislike them very much before I actually got to know them. In hindsight, this might be the point - but I still didn't like that in the beginning.
If you're a fan of Showalter's, I suggest you read the book and then tell me what you get from it. If you're looking for a romantic comedy-type of read, may I suggest Showalter's The Stone Prince? I felt that one read more like a funny movie than this one. This one made me kinda sad.
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